Castle in New York City
by Anabelle9
Summary: The revolution never ended; no one died. Instead, they were all sent to New York City, present-day, and with only a few still with the memories of their past. Scattered across this vast city, how will everyone find each other? And when they do, how will they know if they remember them? And more importantly, how will they get back? Mostly E/E and M/C. Rated T for some language.
1. Chapter 1: The Awakening

**Hello, Les Mis fans! Kay, so this is my first Les Mis fanfic (and if this goes well, I might put up another) and I would loveeeee it if you kept reading after this little author's note. It would make me happy, and even happier if I got reviews to prove you read it ;) I also have a longer author's note than most I've written, but it shouldn't be too bad. I am VERY specific when it comes to who plays who, since every character (except Fantine, sorry Fantine fans) is in this. So here's my perfect Les Mis cast list. (Not based on singing, based on who I think looks the part).**

**Jean Valjean – John Owen-Jones**

**Javert – Earl Carpenter**

**Cosette – Amanda Seyfried**

**Marius – Eddie Redmayne**

**Éponine – Samantha Barks**

**Enjolras – Aaron Tveit (Who else plays him perfectly?!)**

**Grantaire – George Blagden**

**ABC Boys - Movie**

**Gavroche – Daniel Huttlestone (Such a little cutie)**

**Thénardier – Matt Lucas**

**Mme. Thénardier - Jenny Galloway**

**Thénardier - Matt Lucas **

**Thénardier Gang – Movie**

**And now it starts! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 1: The Awakening**

Everything was blurred. His eyes were viewing the world as a fly would. He had to rest his hands against his forehead due to the excruciating pain he felt. _Was it over? Was this heaven?_ He thought. Heaven seemed like a better place to be than this. It was not anything he had imagined. Heaven would have angels and songs and there would be no pain or suffering. Instead, he felt_ only_ pain and suffering.

He stood up and rested his hand against a wall. The feeling was foreign to him. What created this building? His eyes began to clear up and things were in full view. However, what were these things? Nothing he had ever seen. Some sort of large bins with a rancid odor – it looked completely vile. The walls had strong blocks. No building he had ever seen had been made of such material. And the ground…it wasn't made of stone. No, this was much smoother. He bent down and rubbed his hand against the ground, shivering at the softness. All he could think about was how and why things were different.

_"Beep!" _The man jumped at the unfamiliar sound. He had never heard of such an annoying and shaking sound in his life. There was something strange about where he was. He could not have left the barricades – he still needed to help Marius. He saw the boy as the bullet pierced through his skin. Before he had time to do anything, the light had come.

A light fell across the entire city of Paris, blinding anyone who looked directly at it. The next thing he knew, he was in this strange place, barely remembering the last few moments before the change.

Again, the strange _beep_ came from a further position. Was that a machine…moving? How could a machine move? That was unheard of. The only machines that moved were carriages. That was all he had known, at least.

Slowly, he began walking forward. Step after step, he continued to the world that was before him. He quickened his pace; he could not wait any longer. He had to know what was happening.

As he exited from the darkness, the sun brightly shone above him. This was an entirely different world. Buildings reached to the sky, machines raced through the streets…he had never seen anything faster than a carriage. He did not even realize how far he was, because a small, yellow machine sped at him. Instinctively, he jumped out of the way onto the hard, stone – not stone – path.

"Sir, are you alright? Do you need to see a doctor? That taxi almost killed you!" Taxi? Killed him? This was all too new for him to take in at once. He looked up at the man who asked him those questions. He had longer hair than boys should have and he wore the most informal clothing he had ever seen.

"Yes, I'm fine. Merci Monsieur, for your concern."

"Um…no problem?" Very informal. The man had a newspaper in his arms. Newspapers always had something important to say. He snatched the newspaper from his hand and read the title first: New York Times. New York? As in America? Not possible. Completely irrational. Or…was it?

"Dude, that's my newspaper!" He ignored the man's comment as he scrolled his eyes around the newspaper. He read the date. Dates were just as important as the place. He could have been unconscious for longer than he thought. A couple days, maybe even a couple weeks. He almost lost his balance when he saw March 26th, 2013 at the top of the first page.

**Very short at first, but it sets the stage. New York...hmm... we shall see what challenges face them here! And just to clear things up a bit, this will be mainly about our teenage friends, not so much Javert or Valjean, sorry Javert and/or Vajean fans. They have a good part in it, but not as big as most of our favorites :) Reviews would help me a bit, but the next chapter won't go up until I finish my previous fanfic. And the chapters will get longer, I promise that! Thank you!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	2. Chapter 2: Unknown

**Hi! Sorry, it's been sooooo long since I last updated. I'm hoping it'll be more frequently that I put up chapters. I thank you all who have stuck with this after my first chapter :) Just to clear the air, the first 3 chapters are Valjean POV. I had a question about that, and just telling you it's Valjean. We will get into everyone else soon enough :) So, um, here you go! Enjoy Chapter 2! **

**Chapter 2: Unknown **

He was dreaming. It had to be a dream. How could one transport through time? How could one pass 200 years of history? This was all too much for him to take in. The man with the newspaper had long since taken his daily read and departed, leaving a very confused man in the streets of New York.

New York. Of all the places, he ended up in New York. He had only heard small talk about the growing city, though it was no Paris at the time. However, things have changed immensely in the last couple of centuries. People filled the sidewalks and the roads filled with taxis, as the man had said they were called.

He had to find some place safe. He had to get away from the public area. People had begun to stare. He needed to update to the time period, and fast.

He sprinted past hundreds of people. He searched for an inn or a place to stay the night. Most of the places he saw were eateries or shops. The world had greatly changed. Nothing was the same.

He needed help. He needed someone to give him more information about how people lived in modern times. The world was so different to him. Buildings reach the skies, the population had more than doubled, and there was much new technological advancement.

He observed the world around him. If he were to blend in, he would need to understand how people went about in their daily life. He stood to the side of a building in another alley and examined those who passed by. Most of the men he saw had the same style of clothing: matching pants and jacket, a plain white shirt, and a tie in various colors. Others, however, wore informal clothing, such as the man with the newspaper from earlier.

This new world was too complicated for him to grasp so quickly. Paris in the nineteenth century did not have taxis or buildings reaching the skies. The highest building he could remember did not reach half the height of what buildings in the future reached.

And there was the question of how he got there. That light…it completely blinded anyone who stared long enough. One minute he was bringing Marius to safety, and then the next he transported 200 years into the future.

Marius could die, he thought. No one knew where he was. They were seconds from going underground into the sewers, but the light came and changed everything.

His main concern was Cosette. She would be lonely with only Toussaint for company. How would they survive? They had no money without him. He was their benefactor; they would lose everything. Why was he the one to go? Cosette helped him start over, and now those dreams were gone. They would never see each other again.

He would find a way to go back. He would make sure his Cosette was safe. He would do anything to change this new fate life had given him.

He stared at his uniform. He had to dispose of it soon and change. People continued to stare, and some whispered in each other's ears. He was already changing the future just by standing among them. A young woman holding a child in her arms didn't seem to mind him. She smiled and waved with her free hand. He slowly lifted his hand into the air and waved back. She could help him, he thought.

He made the brave decision to approach her. She did not hide or walk away from him, but simply she greeted him. Maybe she could help him. He hoped and prayed she could. "Excuse me, Madame," he began, "I am…I am looking for a place to stay the night. Is there…um, is there anywhere near here?"

The woman smiled at him. "Um, yeah, the Gorber Hotel is just down the block. Or, if you're looking for an apartment, the Central Apartments are on Fifth Avenue, not too far from here." An apartment. That seemed like his best option.

"Thank you, Mademoiselle," He smiled and bowed to her. She smiled back and nodded. She was not frightened of his appearance, as everyone else seemed to be. He ran past hundreds of bystanders to Fifth Avenue. He needed to take shelter and assess his situation. It was still daylight, so he would have plenty of time to find a place to live. He had a feeling this apartment would help him understand his situation more clearly.

He passed street after street until Fifth Avenue appeared. He took a right and walked down the path. He was beginning to understand the world just from a simple walk around the city. The lights above the streets told the taxis when to go and when to stop for other taxis going a different direction to go. Red told them to stop and green told them to go. Yellow was a chance for the taxis to go faster, and he noticed the yellow taxis did that often. He noticed yellow was a very common color for the taxis. The others were more for the wealthier kind, he concluded.

The world was still beautiful, he thought. There was a large park nearby with many flowers and trees. It reminded him of the Luxembourg Gardens. He and Cosette would visit frequently and observe the scenery. It was a wonderful place for them to enjoy their natural surroundings. He enjoyed spending time with daughter. He just never imagined it would end.

There was a sign on a building saying, _The Central Apartments. _This was the place the woman mentioned. He ran to the front door and opened it. A bell rang as he walked in and he observed the inside. There were a few couches with slightly smaller books on tables and lights hanging from an ugly green wallpaper. The front desk was just up ahead with a man in uniform sleeping on the chair. His feet were propped up on the counter and his hat covered his face.

"Um, excuse me, Monsieur," he said. The man had not heard him. He walked in step by step until he made it to the desk. The man was sound asleep. Papers covered the desk and a bell rested on the counter. He put his hand over the bell, wondering if he should ring it and wake the man from his slumber. He needed a place to stay, but he didn't want to upset the man…

He decided to ring. The man would have to deal with an interruption. He pressed the small button on the bell and waited for the man. Nothing. Not even a flinch. He rang repeatedly until the man slowly awakened.

"Huh, wah…" The man lifted his cap to reveal a pair of worn out brown eyes. No wonder he was sleeping on the job.

"Hello," he told the man, "I'm sorry to disturb your slumber, but I-"

"Oh, please intrude," the man said, standing up, "Finally, I get a break." He stared at the man who was searching his pockets.

"Um, I'm sorry, I don't quite understand."

"You're my replacement," the man said. He opened his eyes. Replacement? He was only looking for somewhere to live. The man thought otherwise. "Um, here are the keys, I'm guessing you have your own cell phone, and I'll be here to take your shift at eight!" The man put the keys in his hands and laid the cap on his head. They were wearing almost exactly the same uniform. He nodded and smiled as if he should have known.

"No, I'm just looking for a room." He cleared up the situation, but the man did not understand clearly.

"The job comes with the room," he explained, "You pay half of the rent and work here on six hours shifts. It's a pretty good deal, if you ask me, but I was up _all_ night and did _not_ get any sleep. I need a break." He surveyed his options. He could continue to tell him the truth and say he's only looking for a room, which he has no money for, or he could accept this job, get the room and only have to pay half of what everyone else pays.

He smiled to the man. "Yep, I'm your replacement." There was a ring from the bell, but no one rang it. A door opened automatically and a man in uniform came out. He had a dark blue uniform with a belt around his waist carrying many devices. He noticed there was a gun.

But there was something familiar about this man. Not the uniform, not the gun, the face was much too recognizable. The dark, cold eyes, the short-cut hair, the determination…

"Hey, Marty," he said, "I'm going on duty."

"Catch the thugs for us!" Marty replied. He smiled and chuckled. They patted each other on the back as if they had been friends for ages. But this man had not been here for ages. This man came the same time he came.

"You…I know you…" He whispered. The familiar man turned to him in confusion. "Have…have we met?" The man smiled and shook his head. He didn't remember.

"Your face is not a face I would forget." He smiled and patted him on the back as he did to Marty. As he would to a friend. They were not friends. They were the complete opposite.

"See you later, Marty!" He waved and walked out of the apartment building, leaving a very confused man behind.

_That face, _he thought, I am not mistaken. _Javert came to this world, too._

**So, looks like Valjean was wrong. He was _not_ the only one to come to New York. But...Javert doesn't remember him. We will get into that soon enough! And did anyone see the Les Mis movie reference? I crack myself up :P Next chapter will also be a Valjean POV, and then we won't see him or Javert for a while. This is mainly C/M/E/É, and I have a feeling we will see one or two or them soon...very, _very_ soon...**

**Anabelle ;)**


	3. Chapter 3: Heartbroken

**Alright, I know you all hate me for making you wait, but I really had to focus on tennis tryouts and the first days of school and all that crap. You all know how frustrating that can be. But now I'm back with a new chapter! :) This will be the last time we see Valjean for a while, but next chapter we get into the story a little better. And now I present...**

**Chapter 3: Heartbroken**

His name was Jonathan Valentine. That's what everyone believed him to be. No one knew his true identity, and no one would. Not until he found a way home.

The job was good; he worked from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends and 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. on weekdays. The other bellhops (he recently learned what profession he took up was called) were Marty, George, and Patrick. The owner of the apartments, August, was never around, so Jean didn't have to pay his rent until August knew he was living there. He still needed US dollars instead of francs.

Marty helped him get started. He was very supportive and, without realizing it, taught him about the ways of the modern world. In the day that Jean had been there, he learned many things that was second nature to people living in this time. They soon became very good friends.

But that man from before…Jean – Jonathan, was not mistaken. It was Javert. Only here, he was known as Officer Nate Jasper. It was obvious Javert had no memory of his life in France. Otherwise, he would have arrested him on the spot.

Jean began wondering earlier the next day if anyone else had come to New York City. If he and Javert had come, the entire revolution could have been there, too. Maybe even Cosette came.

He needed to know. He needed to see his daughter once more, know that she wouldn't spend the rest of his life without him. He needed to find her.

Living without her was living without happiness. She lit up his world. Ever since the day he saved her from that wretched family he understood what love and compassion was. She taught him these things just by being the innocent and kindhearted girl she was.

He looked at the digital clock on the counter. Clocks became a very important asset in modern times, and they've advanced greatly. There were digital clocks now, able to tell the exact time in numbers. It was 1:47. His shift ended soon. That was when he would do it. That was when he would search for Cosette.

He looked out the window of the main lobby. It was pitch black outside, the only light coming from the lampposts. It was too late for anyone to be out at this hour, but he could only think of his daughter wandering the streets of New York City alone. He could only think of him being her only hope.

He tapped his fingers against the wooden desk, staring at the digital clock until it turned two. Marty said he might be late. He didn't think he would be over a half hour late.

Marty came rushing in through the door. He laughed with some friends at the door and waved them goodbye, but he wasn't acting right. He walked in very lopsided, but he only made it to the couch where he collapsed into a deep sleep. He was drunk.

"Marty," he whispered. Marty was passed out on the couch. Jonathan left his post at the desk and walked to the couch. He laid on his stomach, snoring. He pushed his arm to see if that would wake him, but it didn't work. It was like he hadn't slept in days.

"Marty!" He shouted. The other bellhop slowly began waking up and sat up on him arm. He shook his head and put his free hand on his forehead.

"I'm tired…wake meh when it's muh shift," Marty said, collapsing back on the couch. His breath was foul, indicating he had way too much to drink that night.

"It _is_ your shift, Marty!" He shook his arms again, but to no avail. He wouldn't awaken for hours.

Jean sat on the chair next to Marty and sighed. He needed to find Cosette. He couldn't leave without anyone watching the front desk, though. And Marty was in no shape to take his shift.

He heard the sound of the elevator door open. It was Patrick, one of the other bellhops. Patrick was a man in his younger years, not yet hit his 30s. He seemed young enough to hold a stable job and make a better living, Jean thought. It was a waste of his youth to work in a place such as this.

"What happened to Marty?" He asked, walking over to the intoxicated Marty. It was pretty obvious what happened, and after smelling his breath, Patrick was certain. "Not again."

"This has happened before?"

"Yeah, he knows he shouldn't drink before the night shift though." They stared at the lifeless drunk, wondering what to do about him. "Well, there's no way he can work now. He'll have to take your next shift to make up for this." Patrick wrapped his arms around Marty and lifted him onto his shoulders.

"Wait, what should I do?" Jean asked. He would much rather search for Cosette than work another shift.

"I'll take his shift," Patrick said, "Just stay here until I get back. You look like you could use a good night's sleep."

"But I don't need sleep."

"Look at you!" Patrick said as he pushed the elevator button. He was still in his uniform from the barricades. He hadn't left the lobby. He hadn't even seen his room yet. All in all, he was exhausted. "You need rest. I'll take his shift and you get a good night's sleep."

"But your shift isn't until eight."

"So I'll work a double shift," Patrick replied. The elevator door opened and he stepped in. "Please don't argue. I'll be back in a few minutes." The doors closed and he was alone again. He sighed and walked back behind the counter. It would take longer than he thought to find his beloved daughter.

The sun shone through the window and glared directly at Jean's eyes. He awoke suddenly and propped himself up on the bed. He rubbed the sleep out of his eye. He imagined it was all a dream. He was sleeping in his bed. He hadn't gone to the revolution because there was no need to. Cosette was safe in the room next to his.

But as he opened his eyes, he knew exactly where he was. He was in a rundown apartment he called his temporary home. He immediately departed from the blankets keeping his warm through the night and dressed himself. He was ready to find her.

He ran out of the room in a hurry, barely remembering to lock the door. He made it to the elevator and pressed the button. There were stairs, which he was more familiar with, but he had been told elevators were faster.

He was intrigued by the advancements made within the last couple of centuries. Elevators, clocks, even cell phones. He never imagined being able to talk to someone miles away from him. Life became more simple and easy to live.

"Hey, hold the elevator!" He looked up. That man. That man who hated him from the start. That man who wouldn't miss an opportunity to arrest him on the spot.

He pressed the Closed Doors button and waited patiently for them to close. The man ran to catch the elevator, still screaming for him to stop. Jean made it seem like he didn't hear him. The doors closed right before he entered.

The ride down was horrifying. Jean pressed himself against the back and slid down to a sitting position. What caused his memory loss he did not know. He was having a hard time dealing with the fact that they were now neighbors.

This world still astonished him. How could Javert have had a life here when he had a whole other one back in Paris? Something wasn't right, and Jean wanted to find the underlying cause of things, starting with finding Cosette.

The doors opened and he rushed out. The lobby was quiet that morning, only a few people sitting around. A woman was feeding her baby and rocking him in a chair. She made strange sounds that made the baby smile and laugh. Patrick sat at the desk and stared at the clock. It was half past eight, which meant his normal shift began not too long ago. He still had about six hours left.

"Are you okay, Patrick?" His eyes were exhausted and the only thing keeping him awake was the cup of coffee on the counter, which was nearly empty. He didn't want to ask to take his place, but he started to care about him.

"I'm just a little tired," Patrick replied. He picked up his cup and drank it until it was empty. "I just need more coffee."

"Here," Jean said as he took the cup, "Let me get that for you." He went to the espresso machine and pressed the button. Coffee automatically poured into the cup. His fellow employees taught him so much in the short time he had been there. If he hadn't gotten the job, he wouldn't have learned all the things he had about this new world.

"So, where are you off to today, Jonathan?" He handed Patrick the coffee, who wasted no time in taking his first sip. Coffee did wonders for some, Jean thought.

He thought about that question. Where_ was_ he going? From what he saw of New York already, it was at least the size of Paris, if not larger. He wasn't sure of street names or places or attractions in the city. The only place he knew of was the apartment building.

If he left, he might not be able to come back. He would need something to show him the way, show him where to go.

"I don't know," was his only answer. His only truthful answer since he arrived. "I wanted to observe the city, but I wouldn't know where to go."

"One second." Patrick set his coffee cup on the counter and searched through the drawers. He took some items and threw them aside until he came up with a folded piece of paper.

"Here, I keep this map for new guests. You can keep it, I have three others." Jean held the map in his hands. He opened it and saw everything he needed to know: street names, popular sites, everything anyone like him would need.

"Thank you, Patrick," Jean told him.

"Um, sure. Anytime." Jean's response sounded more meaningful than Patrick thought it was, but Jean knew this would guide him to Cosette. He just had to think of her favorite places.

She was a quiet girl, never one to get out of the house too much. She loved reading, so he knew to check the libraries around. She also loved nature. He remembered their strolls through the Luxembourg Gardens and knew that was her favorite place in the world.

He checked the map for the closest garden or park. He had to search in a familiar area where he would be able to return to the apartments. The closest was Central Park. It was only a few streets down, and he would be able to return whenever.

He ran out the door clutching the map. He hadn't been outside since he was running amuck around New York City. The sun was blinding and he used the map to shield his eyes. It was a busy morning outside, people rushing across the streets and taxis driving around. The wind made the day feel like a fall evening instead of a spring morning. He still wore his uniform, and people still stared at him, but that didn't stop him. He knew what his goal was: find Cosette.

He walked along with everyone else and followed stoplight directions. He flowed with sidewalk traffic, checking the map every so often to make sure he was going to the right way. He found Central Park in no time.

There was a large arch symbolizing the entrance to the park. He walked in with a group of kids. There were three adults leading them in and one telling them facts about the park. The park was huge as he placed it on the map. The city completely surrounded it, and, in his mind, was the more beautiful garden he had ever seen. Trees and flowers bloomed everywhere around it. People threw small objects into the fountain while others observed the shrubbery.

Cosette would love this place; it was perfect for someone like her. And when he found her, he could take her there whenever she wanted. They would live in the apartment until he found a way back home. This was not their home.

He searched for hours and walked the entire perimeter. It was midday when he decided to rest on a bench. He looked around and searched for anyone with long, blonde hair and sparkling green eyes. He stopped many girls already, but none was his daughter.

He decided it would take some time to get back to the apartments, so he started the journey back to the South Gate, where he first came in.

It was hopeless, he told himself. Looking at the map again, he realized the city was much larger than he anticipated. There had to people hundreds of thousands of people living there, if not much more. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack trying to find Cosette, not even knowing if she was even there. It was an impossible task.

"Where're you going, hot stuff?" He looked over and saw a nice young couple. The girl was running from him and he playfully picked her up. She screamed at him to put her down, but it looked like she was enjoying it. The way she laughed reminded him of Cosette.

Her hair reminded him of Cosette as well, those blonde locks perfectly falling down. When the man put her down, he noticed she had eyes like Cosette's as well. And her facial features…they were…exact…

"Cosette?" He whispered to himself. The young blonde's face was clear and her smile gave it away – this was Cosette.

"Cosette!" He ran over to her and the young man. He embraced her and wouldn't let go. He had found her; he finally found her.

"Um, excuse me!" She pushed him off her in a rude manner. She would never have done that before. She gave him a confused look, as did he. "What the hell are you doing?"

He was shocked at her language and almost slapped her for speaking in such a manner to her father. "Cosette, it's me. Your father."

"My father should be at the office right now! And who's Cosette?" He wasn't hearing right. He couldn't have. But then again, she wouldn't be the only one without her memories.

"You-you are. Cosette, my child, I've found you at last." He almost embraced her a second time to help her remember, but she backed away. The man from before stood up for her defense.

"You may have me mistaken with someone else," she told him, "My name is Coleen, and my father is a businessman." She has a whole other life in this world, too. He couldn't believe what she was saying. He didn't want to believe.

"We've got to get back to school. Let's go, Daniel." She linked fingers with the man and they walked away, slowly disappearing from his sights. He sat on a bench and pressed his hands against his face. He had her. For how long it was, he had her in his sights. And now he was heartbroken.

Javert didn't remember. Cosette didn't remember. Was he the only one? He wondered if there were more, and if he was the only one who remembered.

**So for the moment, Valjean is the only one who remembers. Next chapter will be a little different. We meet a new character...or old character...well, you'll find out who they are at the end of the chapter, I hope :) Reviews are very nice and if they bash my story, I would still like to hear it :) I'm open to all comments. Thank you for reading and I hope to put the next chapter up by the end of the week! **

**Anabelle ;)**


	4. Chapter 4: Stop and Stare

**Okay, please don't hate me! I seriously haven't done my homework today so I can finish this...even though I should have finished it like two weeks ago. You'll learn (if you haven't already) I set dates to update but I never follow them. I should stop making promises I can't keep :( But, I finished it and I really hope you all think it was worth the wait! This was originally going to be two chapters, but they would've been wayyyy too short and I wanted to give you guys a little more to read :) We start with an unknown character (who you all will eventually recognize) and I hope you all see the Les Mis references! I'll tell you next chapter if you didn't see them, but I would like a PM or message of the ones you did see :) So I'm going to shut up and let you guys read! :) Thanks for waiting!**

**Chapter 4: Stop and Stare**

**One month later**

His room was always messy. He never felt like he had the time or the effort to clean it, so it stayed that way. Candy bar wrappers placed randomly around his room, dirty clothes covering the wood floors…one could find pretty much anything in this room if they looked hard enough.

His comforter wrapped around him, keeping him warm throughout the night. He was in no mood to get up and start the day. He stayed up late playing Xbox and ignoring his History report, and now he was regretting it.

He slowly opened his eyes, unaware of how late it was. He rested a hand on his forehead, easing the sharp pain he felt. His digital clock sat on the dresser next to him, reading 10:04. He threw the comforter off him and picked up the clock. He thought his eyes weren't working, but they were as clear as day. And he already missed the first two periods of school.

He rushed around his room, looking for a clean uniform to wear. He found a wrinkled gray polo (better than the one with the mustard stain his mom forgot to wash out) and the navy pants that went with it. Going to an academy had its perks, like not figuring out what to wear every morning.

He finished getting ready a few minutes later and ran out of the house. His parents worked early, so it was always up to him to set an alarm. He must have forgotten during Round 23 of Nazi Zombies.

Luckily, he lived only a couple blocks away from St. Digna Academy. He closed the door to his brownstone and locked it. He waited at the intersection for the walking sign to flash. He didn't know what he was so tired about. Of course, he played his video games a little too late but he's stayed up later than that before. He never had a headache much like the one he had that morning. It felt like someone drilled nails into his head.

When the white flashing light popped up, he sprinted across the street. St. Digna Academy was only a ten-minute walk, and if he ran fast enough, he could get there in less than five.

The only thing he was really worried about was what Mr. Hugo would say about his report. He gave the class three weeks to write it. Three weeks ago, he thought he had plenty of time. A couple nights ago, he was frantically searching Google for…anything. He ended up admitting defeat and played video games the night before.

Now, he was hoping Mr. Hugo would go easy on him. Maybe even give him until Monday. Then he would have the next couple of days and the weekend to work on it. Mr. Hugo was a tough teacher, but sometimes he went easy on some of his students.

He ran across the street to the school. The time was 10:19 by the time he entered the school. He didn't even bother stopping to tell the secretary why he was late; he just kept running.

He eventually made his way to Room 147, Mr. Hugo's World History class. He would need a perfect explanation as to why he missed two and a half periods. Maybe his grandmother was sick and he spent the night in the hospital. Or maybe his dog ran away that morning and he had to find him.

However, he knew whatever lie he came up with, Mr. Hugo would never buy into it. He knew a liar when he saw one. It was like he had a superpower where he knew everything about a person, and knew when and why they lied.

He opened the door to find Mr. Hugo lecturing to the silent classroom. Most of the students had pencils glued to their notebooks, prepared to write whatever the teacher was about to say next.

"Um…" He whispered softly, unsure of what to say. Mr. Hugo took his glasses off and crossed his arms, awaiting an answer. He looked at the teacher and shrugged.

"Take your seat." He obeyed him and walked down to the back seat in the second row. His seat was next to this one girl who had recently moved here. She didn't talk to anyone, only wrote in her notebook a lot. He never bothered talking to her because she never bothered talking to anyone.

"Now, before that interruption," Mr. Hugo said, clearly putting him on the spot, "Who can tell me three reasons why Louis XVI was not a strong ruler during his reign?" He searched through his backpack for his notebook, but only found previous assignments for different classes. The last time he saw his backpack in true organization was the first day of school. After that, he didn't manage anything for school, one of the reasons why he put off his report.

…And why didn't he ask him for the report? Did everyone not turn them in yet? Maybe he had time to come up with a reasonable excuse by the end of class, one Mr. Hugo might actually believe.

He found his notebook for Spanish, and it was his only option if he was to take notes that day. He would transfer the notes to his other notebook at lunch or something. Next, he needed a pencil. He wasn't going to ask weird silent girl, so he turned to Jacob.

"Hey, do you have a pen or pencil I can borrow?" They weren't the closest friends, but he was a nice guy. He gave him a pencil with most of the eraser missing and went back to writing notes.

"For the rest of the period, read Chapters 23 and 24 on Napoleon Bonaparte. I will read your reports during this time." The class took the books from under their desk as he stared into space. No one reached into their folders for the reports. Mr. Hugo sat at his desk, put his glasses on, and took one report at a time, reading carefully and nodding as he went. The class had already turned them in before. He was screwed.

The rest of class went agonizingly slow. He barely read about the achievements and faults of Napoleon. Even weird silent girl was reading. He always assumed she wasn't interested in school, but the way she just stared at the book proved him wrong. She noticed him staring at her and covered her face with her long, brown hair, turning weird again.

He instead stared at the teacher as he read the reports from the students who finished them on time. His eyes switched from the book to Mr. Hugo and the clock. He checked the clock every two minutes, waiting for the next period to start. He was the first one out of his seat when the bell rang.

"Mr. Mercer," The teacher called out. He was right by the door; only two steps and he was home free. But Mr. Hugo knew better. He was one smart teacher. "Please stay a minute." He turned around and walked slowly towards his desk.

"Eilene, very nice report." Mr. Hugo said as weird silent girl walked towards the door. She barely turned around and looked only at Mr. Hugo.

"Um, thank you, Mr. Hugo." He smiled at her and she walked out of the classroom with her books covering her chest. She represented the epitome of a shy new girl.

"Now, Mark," Mr. Hugo began. He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. Mark was about to make an excuse, but he knew nothing would work. "You don't need to lie to me; I know you didn't finish your report."

"How did you become so smart, Mr. Hugo?" Mark replied, trying to compliment his way out, "You knew exactly what I was going to do before I did it." Mr. Hugo took off his glasses and placed them on the desk. It would take serious convincing to go easy on him.

"Mark, I don't understand why this keeps happening. If this keeps up, you'll fail this class right before graduation. I don't want to see that happen to a bright student like you." Mark tapped his foot against the floor and ran his fingers through his hair. Graduation…he had no plans for what he was going to do. He didn't really think about it until then.

"Well, I don't necessarily have to go to college, right?"

"Mark, this is serious." He folded his hands on the desk and looked him in the eye. He looked like his father – stern and somber. Mark gave him a pleading look. "Don't give me that. I'm not going easy on you if all you're going to do is beg."

"Mr. Hugo, show some mercy if you can," He replied, "I just need a little more time. I can _definitely _finish it by this weekend." He gave him that stern look again. It could go either way at this point. Mr. Hugo was an unpredictable person.

"Monday," he said, giving Mark some air to breathe," But that's as late as I'll go. Monday is your deadline."

'That's all I need, thank you!" Mark smiled and rushed out of there as fast as he could. He couldn't believe he lucked out like that. It was turning out to be a pretty good day.

"Oh!" As he walked out, he accidentally knocked some books out of a girl's arms. They tumbled to the floor, the books opening as he fell. The girl dropped to her knees to pick them up, as did Mark.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," he said, picking up a blue book with the Eiffel Tower on the cover. It said _Français en action_ in a bold font. The blonde girl picked up the other book and looked directly into his eyes. She had green eyes that sparkled when the lights hit them. She pulled her hair behind one ear and smiled. Her smile was brighter than her eyes.

"Don't worry about it." She said, reaching a hand for the book. He slowly realized what she was doing and handed it to her.

"You're in French?" He asked, trying to spark up a conversation, "Seems a bit hard." She smiled again. He couldn't get over that smile.

"Well, my father was born in France, and that's where my grandparents live. I want to be able to speak to them when I visit over summer break." She held her books in front of her chest like weird silent girl, only blonde with green eyes caught his attention.

"Wow, I only took Spanish because I thought it was the only language available here." She laughed at his joke. Her laugh made the beginning of his day seem perfect. He held out a hand to shake hers. "I'm Mark; Mark Mercer."

"Nice to meet you, Mark." She replied and shook his hand. He was about to ask her to hang out sometime, but someone walked up and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, causing the Already Taken Zone to close up on her.

"There you are, Coleen," He said. She looked at him and gave him a slight kiss on his lips. "Come on, let's go to lunch."

"Okay, Daniel." They started to walk away, not even knowing he was there. He figured his presence didn't affect her.

"Oh, it was nice to meet you, Mark." He heard her call out. He looked up and saw her looking back from her boyfriend's arm around her. He smiled back and waved. He waited where he was until she turned the corner to breathe. He thought he had just met an angel. A single look and he knew this wasn't a dream. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

**Part 2**

He didn't realize they shared lunch. He saw her in the lunchroom only a few lunch tables away from his. She sat next to her boyfriend, who had his arm around her and was laughing with his friends. She was quietly eating, smiling lightly when he made a joke that made his friends cackle. He couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Hey Mark." He didn't notice his friend sit next to him after he came back from the lunch line. He rested his head on his hand and stared obviously at the beautiful blonde. Her every movement intrigued him, from her hand fluffing her hand to her smile brightening.

"You okay, Mark?" He returned to his senses and saw his friend looking at him skeptically as he took a bite of his apple.

"Oh, hey John. Um, it's nothing. Nothing really." He returned to staring at her, making it more obvious what he was doing.

"You like her or something?" John asked. Mark blushed slightly and turned around to face John. When he knew he was right, John burst into laughter. "Who, Coleen?"

"You know her, John?" Coleen was her name. He remembered her boyfriend saying it, but couldn't put his finger on it. It was such a beautiful name. It fit her perfectly.

But this shocked Mark as he had been friends with John for a long time and had never seen them talk before. Maybe they shared a class he didn't with John.

"Yeah, she's in my French class." That made sense to him now.

"Is French a popular language or something? You're the only other person I know who takes it." Mark stole a couple of John's fries and doused them in ketchup. John took another bite of his apple and swallowed before answering.

"Well, it's mainly because my last name is French. Prouvaire?"

"Yeah, she said she had family living there…" He returned to watching Coleen and saw her wrap a couple hairs around her finger in the most intimate way. Only she wasn't looking at him; she was looking at the other guy.

"Mark…hello…"

"Hmm?"

"That guy sitting next her, Daniel, is her boyfriend. She's already taken. Move on." Mark looked over to Daniel, who had moved his arm from her shoulder to her waist, pulling her closer to him. She squirmed a little to get more comfortable, but smiled at him. It was an innocent smile, one he hadn't seen a girl wear in a long time.

"Yeah, I guess so." Mark said, admitting defeat. He took another fry and looked into the distance. He didn't know what to think. He had only just met her and he was already in love with her. He didn't know anything about her, except that she was French. He was part French, too, now that he thought about it. They had that in common.

Maybe he should transfer into their class. Would that look suspicious? And school ended in a month – there would be no point to.

"Hey, I'm going to Wilkinson's class early. Meet you there." John said. He took his backpack and wrapped it around his shoulder. He took his lunch tray and was about to throw all that good food in the trash. Mark forgot to bring money for lunch, so he grabbed the tray.

"Do you mind if I eat the rest of this? I didn't bring a lunch." John chuckled and nodded.

"Next time, set your alarm clock." He nodded as John walked out of the cafeteria. He ate the remaining fries and a couple bites of the pizza John hadn't touched. Every so often, though, he would still turn around and see Coleen sitting next to Daniel, flirting with him and kissing him and waited until he had seen enough to leave.

He picked up the lunch tray and threw the garbage out. He took his backpack and walked out of the cafeteria. He turned once more to Coleen, who was too busy with Daniel to notice him. He sighed and walked away, hoping maybe he would see her more.

"Ah!" As he turned around, he bumped into someone else leaving the cafeteria. Twice in one day he ran into two girls, only he somewhat knew this one. The long, brunette hair and hidden eyes were all too familiar.

"Oh, pardon me." He said, watching the books tumble to the floor. She sighed and bent down to pick them up, him helping her as well. He picked up a pre-calculus book and held it up to her. She looked him directly in the eyes, hers widening with shock. Maybe she recognized him from Hugo's and thought he was a stalker for staring at her and now accidentally bumping into him. She whispered something so low his ears could not perceive it.

"I'm sorry?" He asked her. She pulled her hair behind one ear and continued to look directly at him. He was beginning to realize why he called her weird, silent girl.

"Sorry, I mean… I'm sorry." She took the book and stayed put, like she was waiting for him to say something. So he did.

"Do I know you? I think you're in one of my classes."

"Um, yeah I'm Ep-" She began in the most vulgar tone, but shifted to a more relaxed and quiet tone. "Um, I'm Eilene." He smiled, as he remembered Mr. Hugo congratulating her on her report. Maybe he could befriend her and she could help him out.

"Nice to meet you, Eilene." He said. He held a hand to shake, but she held her books to her chest like before. He slowly pulled it back so it didn't look awkward. She wasn't as dark and mysterious as he imagined her to be. Her eyes were a soft brown color and her hair waved down her back. She was actually pretty.

To avoid any more discomfort, he walked away to Wilkinson's class. She turned and watched him walk away, the hallways full of strangers. She sees them him and her forever and forever, but she knows she loves him on her own.

"Oh Marius, what's happened?"

**So, we not only have Cosette from the previous chapter...we have both Marius AND ****É**ponine! If you didn't see that before, sorry for the spoilers, but I kinda made it obvious. Again, let me know what Les Mis references you saw, I would like to see how well you guys know Les Mis :) I know this took a while, but I have tennis and junior year, I'm figuring out, is A LOT harder than sophomore year :/ I'm working as hard as I can, and I'll try extra hard to put the next one up soon! Thank you to those who keep reading this!

**Anabelle ;)**


	5. Chapter 5: Unexpected Changes

**Sorry for the late updates! I literally have NO EXCUSES! I've been putting this off for so long but never really got back to it. I told myself I wouldn't stop until I finished it this weekend and I DID! :) I even combined the next chapter with this to make it longer. Last chapter we learned a little more about who remembers and who doesn't. This is an all Éponine chapter, describing how she's handling all the new changes. I'm sorry for the time changes, but this is definitely the last one. From here we keep going forward. The next chapter continues from this, but no going back into the past. Enjoy! :)**

**Chapter 5: Unexpected Changes**

**One month earlier**

The sun was as hot as hell. It was not a summer morning, but it felt similar. The air was too cool for summer.

This made no sense, however, now that she thought about it. It _was_ summer. It was the beginning of June, wasn't it? A ringing noise shocked her into opening her eyes. Someone on a strange contraption waved to her. She slowly waved back and observed her surroundings. She was lying underneath a tree and the birds were chirping in their nest to the rising sun. There was an engraving on the tree with the initials D + C inside a heart. The grass was soft and full in color. A stone path ran in a straight line passed – stone? That looked nothing like stone. It was too smooth and orderly.

She stood up and almost fainted back. She was lightheaded from saving Marius at the barricades, taking the bullet for him…

Her eyes shot open as her memories flooded back to her. She remembered the moment she…died. The bullet pierced through her skin…she could not be alive if she was shot. She felt the life drain from her body. Was this heaven? It seemed like heaven, at least. The flowers were blooming, the pavement shined in a silvery way – everything pointed towards the magical home everyone awaits when they pass.

So why did she feel differently? Why was there this sudden doubt? Surely, there was a reason for her not to believe heaven was only a footstep away. The only way to find out was to explore this new world.

She knew for certain she was not at the barricades. Maybe she had not died at all. She could have been in the Luxembourg Garden or somewhere safe…somewhere away from all the fighting. She didn't even want to be there. If it had not been for Marius, she never would have gone in the first place.

She checked herself for a bullet wound, but there was none to be found. No bullet, no pierce in her skin, not even a drop of blood. Her rags were even cleaned. They looked as new as the day she got them. Something strange was happening – she knew it.

A man came walking by and sat on a bench on the opposite side of the pavement. He laid a briefcase on his lap and took out some papers. He was observing them as carefully as she was observing him. As she started walking towards him to ask questions, a loud sound form the sky echoed below. It sounded like the guns firing at the barricades. She ducked and put her hands on her head in defense.

Nothing happened. The sound was fading away. She opened one eye and stared into the blue sky. It looked like a bird, but it could not have been. It was much larger than a bird and not as graceful as it flew. This was something manmade.

"Excuse me, Miss?" She looked up at the man sitting on the bench. He turned his attention away from his paperwork and redirected it to the girl huddling on the ground. She acted as if she had never seen an airplane in her life. "Are you okay?"

The girl looked at him in confusion. It was her chance to understand where she was. She stood up and walked towards him and his eyes widened. He searched through his pockets and pulled out a small, rectangular object. He opened it and pulled out small pieces of paper. He held them towards her, but she only looked at him, squinting her eyes in a confused way.

"Are you homeless?" He asked the girl. She stared at him with confusion. She did not even know where she was. In reality, however, she indeed was homeless. Back in Paris, that is. Here…well, she needed to know where "here" was first. "Here, take this." He urged her to take the green pieces of paper, but she shook her head in response.

"I'm fine. I just need to know where I am." She replied. He looked at her with perplexity. He did not mean to be rude, but her clothes were so ragged and her hair so tangled that she seemed to fit the part. He placed the dollar bills back in his wallet and turned to the girl.

"Central Park."

"Central…Park?" She asked. That was not enough information. She knew of many parks, but Central Park was one she had not heard of. "Where's that?"

"New York City." Her ears must have heard wrong. He could not have said what she thought he said. She died; she did not cross oceans. She felt lightheaded and almost fell backwards. "Miss, are you okay?" He placed his briefcase on the bench and stood up to seat her.

"I'm fine, I…I think so. But, did you say New York?!" She needed to see if she heard correctly. He nodded in response, making her current situation worse than she thought. She would have much preferred heaven over a change of countries. She knew no one in this strange land across the sea. "Where's the nearest inn?" She asked him.

"You mean hotel?" He asked. Things had changed. She owned an inn as a child, somewhere people came to for shelter during the night. What was a hotel? Something people in New York must say, she thought. "There's one right across the street. The Gorber Hotel."

"Thank you, Monsieur." She said. The girl stood up and walked away before the man could say anything more. She had to find somewhere to stay for the night, and then she needed to make a plan.

Walking along the smooth path was much nicer on her feet than the rough, stone pathways back in Paris. It gave her feet a much softer feeling. However, it was not the pathway that enthralled her. No, it was the world around her that made her stare in awe. She exited the park and saw things her eyes have never experienced before. Machines were speeding through the streets of New York. People were talking to strange devices, as if someone was responding to them. There were lights on the streets that told the machines when to go and when to stop. By observing this new world for merely two minutes, she had seen more than her eyes could handle.

The lights on the streets turned red and the opposite side turned green. Green meant go, red meant stop – easy enough. The crowd started walking across the street to the other side. She saw The Gorber Hotel across the street. She followed the crowd, walking in sync. So far, she blended in. She received some stares, but that was only because of her clothes.

When she reached the other side, she breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't think she would make it out of there. New York was more civilized than she pictured. She thought every city lived the way Paris did: government problems, the poor and rich living in separate worlds, and someone looking to start a fight. This city amazed her.

The doors to the Gorber Hotel were right in front of her. They were very sophisticated. Two men stood outside, guarding the entrance. Would she be able to enter? She had to try. Placing one foot in front of the other, she walked along in. They did not stop her or tell her she was not welcome. However, as she entered the hotel, she felt completely out of place. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling and everyone inside wore the most elegant clothing. Women in full dresses with purses and the most expensive jewelry one could buy. She wore rags and never owned a piece of jewelry in her life. At least not since she was a little girl.

She searched her pockets for a franc or a sou…anything that would allow her shelter for the night. It was still morning, but if she knew anything about living on the streets, it was that the sun does not stay up as long as people think. The moon was the true dominator of the sky.

There was a man at a desk talking to a device similar to the one she saw before. He was nodding and smiling. It wasn't like he was talking to another person; that was impossible. The person would have to be in hearing distance for him to be talking to someone. Although she had seen some strange things already…

She eventually found four francs in her pocket. In a place as sophisticated as this, that might cost her that much or more for one night. She hoped for the best. She slowly walked up to the counter. The man talking to himself looked at her for a second before he showed her his index finger and returned to his imaginary conversation. She looked shocked. Even people like her were given the time of day on occasion. He barely showed her any kindness. Innkeepers didn't care if the customers were rich or poor, just as long as they had money. This man obviously didn't care about her money.

She turned around and started walking back the way she came. She had to think of another plan. She didn't know of any other inns around the area, but she knew she would find one. She was resourceful; she could make her way around this new city.

She didn't know anything about this place. She knew it had the most beautiful park and rude innkeepers, but the history and the lifestyle were out of her reach. She needed to study this new city. If she wanted to find a way back home, she would have to adapt to their culture and live the way they did.

"Yes Miss, may I help you?" She turned around and saw the man behind the counter talking to an actual human now…her. She had a lot to learn, and maybe another conversation with someone would help.

She took out the francs in her pocket and walked back to him." Will this suffice?" He looked at her with his eyebrows cringe together and slowly took the money from her hand. Her body shook as he studied the money, wondering if he would accept it or not. He might have thought she stole it, but she didn't. She received it for delivering a letter for Marius – unwillingly she might add.

"What is this?" He asked her, holding the francs in his hands in front of her. He looked at her like he'd never seen a franc in his life. She was in New York City, after all. Things could be more different from what she pictured.

"It's four francs. Is that not enough for the night?" She asked, her voice quivering with each word. She had been here for ten minutes and already messed things up.

"First, I need to see some form of identification. And second, we're in America. I need US dollars or a credit card." He said as he set the money on the counter in disgust. She took the money and watched him as he turned to the next customer with a smile on his face.

She walked through the glass doors back to the sidewalk. Those machines were still flying through the streets, stopping when they saw the light turn red and speeding up when they saw green. She noticed yellow meant speed up because the light is turning red.

In only a few minutes, she knew she learned a basic knowledge from this world. If she walked around and observed closely, she knew she would learn more. She could learn why people talk to themselves so much and what those machines are. The sun was high in the sky, so she had the second half of the day to see how these people lived.

She picked up her dress and walked with the crowd. In the first five minutes, she learned how different this world was from her own. She still didn't know if this was heaven or the future or even a parallel universe. But she did know she wasn't in France anymore.

The way people acted was completely foreign to her. They conversed more casually to each other, even to their superiors. No matter how terrible her parents were to her, she still showed them her respect. Most people her age here were rude and vulgar to their parents.

She also noticed a change in attire. Set aside from her class, men wore pants and girls always dresses. Girls wore pants or short pants that showed more skin than she ever did in public. She always wore a dress, whether it was when she was young and had the money for expensive clothing or now when she wore rags.

And boys were worse. Their pants used to be more formal than what she was seeing. The older folks wore formal clothing, but the younger age group wore a style she'd never seen. Mainly dark blue pants that they wore close to their knees rather than their hips. It was not attractive in her mind.

She would have to own clothes like this, though. Until she found a way home, this was her life. She needed a place to live, regular food and drink intake, and most importantly, she had to blend in.

So far, she'd received several stares from people on the streets, and most whispered to one another. She was already changing things. She could not cause too much damage to this world.

She missed France. Her life was not the best, but it worked for her. She had total freedom, for she walked the streets freely and no one told her she couldn't. A beating or two from her parents didn't bother her too much; once it had become typical, she got the hang of it. Sometimes they would forget her existence and she was spared. Those days happened more often than not because she was an easy person to forget. It seemed everyone forget she existed, even Marius.

She didn't believe he couldn't see it. How could anyone not? Her sister knew, the ABC Café knew, even Cosette knew. It seemed everyone knew except the one person who should have known. Marius was always blind by true love, and it obviously wasn't her. She risked her life for him, and he didn't know the truth until she told him.

It was strange, looking back. The bullet piercing through her was worse than any pain her parents could put upon her. It may have been from the love she felt for Marius. Her heart was under so much strain from resisting confessing her love that when the bullet hit her heart, that pain was released.

After she had passed away, the pain had vanished. She opened her eyes and found herself lying against the tree in that park. Her first instinct was that she was in heaven, but the more she examined this world, she doubted this was the place where perfection was reality.

She had a rough day as she searched long and hard for a place to stay the night. Every hotel or apartment (another thing she learned about the strange world) only accepted their currency, and there was something about a form of identification that she didn't quite understand. People had papers describing if they were citizens of the law or on parole, but she was never asked a question like that. She assumed her parents took of that with the money they rarely had.

By sundown, she accepted the fact that she was homeless. She failed in her quest to find shelter and was desperate. She thought of all the places she had seen, that maybe someone might show her kindness and let her sleep on a couch or a chair, even the floor would suffice. She asked, but no one agreed to let her stay. Many were scared she would steal something of theirs and didn't want to risk it.

She walked along the sidewalk and thought about other options. She could sleep in an alley, but if she interacted with someone else living there she would regret that decision. She could sleep in the streets. It wouldn't be any different from how she was taught, except for the new machines driving at full speed.

She could always go back to the park. There were benches and trees and possibly no one would be there at night. She could sleep under the same tree where she up at. She would explore the world more in the morning and see what other mysteries there were to find.

It took her a while, but as the sun set behind the tall buildings, she found Central Park. People had begun to close the gates and locked them up for the night. She cursed under her breath, hoping she could find another way in. She saw that the gate was tall, but she thought it wasn't too high enough to climb. She waited until everyone had left and there was no one who could see her. She ran across the street to the large, black gate that guarded her entrance. She held the bars in her hands and looked up. There were spikes at the top, most likely used against people sneaking in – people like her.

She was a master at the streets. She could pass a trap like that no problem. She held the bars tightly in her grip and put her legs on the first horizontal bar. She jumped up further and further until she reached the spikes. She made the decision to jump over it and pray she lands on her feet. Instead of her feet, she landed on her back.

She desperately tried not to scream and draw attention towards her. The pain was excruciating and found it hard for her to stand up. She started by moving to a sitting position, and when that felt comfortable she slowly increased to a standing position.

She limped all the way to where she remembered the bench and tree were. She remembered the tree had a bird's nest and a patch of flowers next to it. And the engraving. There was a heart engraved into the tree with the initials D + C inside it. That would single it out from every other tree in the park.

As she searched for the tree, all she could think about was Marius. She wished he was there with her, to help her and guide her…tell her she would be safe. The last time he told her that, she died in his arms telling him she was in love with him. Marius was always mindless and kept his head in the clouds. He never saw what was right in front of him. Instead, he chased adventure and danger, not knowing she was always there for him. Instead of her, he went for Cosette.

She had known Cosette most of her life. They lived together for four years before that man came and took her, but during that time Éponine always saw herself as superior to her. She wore the prettier clothes and her parents educated her. She even had two parents, whereas Cosette only had her mother. The one thing that enraged Éponine was Cosette's gratification.

Throughout all the torture and the labor, Cosette still had a smile on her face and kept repeating to herself that her mother would return. Even after she told Cosette her mother was never coming home and that she would always work for them, she didn't believe her. She knew her life would change. Éponine was never so infuriated to be proven wrong.

Her life changed because of Cosette. Cosette was the reason they went bankrupt, and why they moved to Paris. She fell in love with Marius because they moved to Paris and Cosette took that away by showing her face in town. Cosette took everything from her without knowing it.

The tree was in plain sight, with the initials written clearly in the bark. She ran her fingers against the carving and sighed. This couple was in love, she thought. They drew a heart to prove their love. She wanted that so badly. She wanted Marius to love her, but to make someone love you was impossible. She was hopelessly in love with someone who would never love her back.

She sat down next to the tree and sighed. The night sky was still the same, with the same beautiful stars she would stare at as a child. Those nights she slept on the streets weren't so bad when she saw the infinite stars dancing in the sky. She closed her eyes wondering how it was everything could change except for the stars, and fell asleep wondering why.

A few hours later, she heard a rustling in the bushes. She shot her eyes open, praying and hoping it was all a dream. She would wake up to a Paris police officer telling her to find somewhere else to sleep and thank him from waking her from her nightmare.

She was still underneath the tree in the same mysterious world. The rustling in the bushes continued. Her heart began to race. She was never this scared, but things were new to her here. She wasn't sure what it could be.

A man with a large hat popped out from behind a bush, his back to her. She used that opportunity to jump him and find out what he was doing. She jumped on his back and he screamed as loud as possible. She covered his mouth to quiet him. If she was caught, she was done for.

"Git off o' me, yo' street rat! Who do yo' think yo' are?" The man's voice was definitely familiar. And there was only one other person would wear a bourgeois hat like that.

"Montparnasse?"

"Ah, I see yo' here too, malady." She let go of him and he turned around. That face was unforgettable. She even saw the scratch mark on his left cheek she made not a week ago. She was thrilled to see a familiar face, even if it was Montparnasse. She could get _some _answers, at least.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked firmly. She wanted answers fast. She didn't want him to ask too many questions about her whereabouts.

"I could ask yo' the same question." He replied, crossing his arms. He was already looking into the matter.

"I asked first." She replied, mimicking his moves. He cackled and stared at her with his deceitful eyes. He was more of a trickster than she had even been; he knew his way around questions asked towards him.

"True, but I think the lady should go first. Here, ladies always go first." They eyed each other until Éponine sighed, giving in. She would make him tell her in due time.

"Ugh. I'm honestly clueless," She began, "I thought I…died." He was about to her ask her why, but she beat him to the question. "I was shot at the barricades, and I felt the life draining from my body. The next thing I knew, I was sleeping under this tree feeling better than ever." He walked closer to her, trying to find the wound. She covered up, hiding her body from him. She never let him come too close to her.

"Why were yo' at the barricades?" He asked. His smile told her he knew the answer, so she ignored the subject. It was time he started answering some questions.

"Don't go there, 'Parnasse. It's your turn. How did _you_ get here?" She asked with a finger pointing at him.

"Well, a deal's a deal. Yo'r father and our gang were working on another target when this light came across the city. It was so bright; I didn't know what to think o' it. When I opened my eyes, I was standing next to this building that was at least 200 feet tall." He raised his hand above his head to stress how high the building was. She had seen taller buildings than that.

"Like you know how high 200 feet is." She said, turning her back to him. She needed to squeeze out more information. That light gave a little hint. She remembered a light, but thought that was what dead people saw, like the light entering them into heaven. Montparnasse couldn't have died on an easy target, so him seeing the light made her questions increase.

"So? I can guess. I have yet to see yo'r father and the rest of our gang."

"You think they're here, too?" She hadn't thought about it, but anyone could be there.

"Maybe. If we are, anyone could be." Her first instinct was to go to Marius. He _could_ be there. This wasn't heaven, but if she had the opportunity to find him, they may be together forever without Cosette getting in her way. She could have the happy ending she always dreamed of having.

"I…" She was speechless. She didn't need Montparnasse anymore; he told her what she needed to know already. "I have to go." She pushed him out of the way and ran towards the entrance of the park. The only thing on her mind was Marius.

"Wait! Don't yo' want to find yo'r father?" He called out to her. She turned around and waked backwards to tell him what she thought.

"If you ever see that bastard, tell him good riddance. I'm through with that life!" She returned to running and left Montparnasse alone. She was given a new life, and she wouldn't waste this one. She was content; she kept repeating to herself she would find Marius. She kept repeating to herself that he loved her just like she did.

**Éponine taking a stand! Now that she's not in the gang anymore, she can focus on finding Marius. Based on our knowledge, though, we already know how that turns out :/ Oh well, she'll figure it out. I only received one review from last chapter, which at first was kind of sad, but this story isn't that far enough to be that popular. I really hope more people read this, so if you like it spread the word! :) I'll still be writing, and that's a promise! I may take a long time to update, but I haven't given up on any of my stories and I don't plan to. Thank you for reading!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	6. Chapter 6: Nothing to Smile For

**Hi! Once again, wayyyy longer than I thought this would take. I'm trying to set up a schedule for writing, and hopefully once I do things will move much faster. But, as I promised, the next chapter is here! :) I should be studying right now though for my test :( Anyway, we left off with Éponine wandering around NYC trying to find Marius, right? Well, now we're going to see where that journey takes her, and who she finds along the way ;) And have any of you seen any Les Mis clues/connections? If you have PM me, I put some in my previous chapters and would love to see who caught them. **

**Chapter 6: Nothing to Smile For**

She sat on a bench and rested. Walking for days on end grew tiring. She figured it had been well over a week since she began her search for Marius, and so far, she was out of luck.

Marius was the main reason she pressed on. She wanted to find him and hold him once more, ask him if what she told him meant anything to him. He didn't have time to respond after she told him her feelings. She didn't have time to ask him.

The cars raced through the streets of New York City. Cars…what an odd name, she thought. And the smaller ones were called bicycles, or bikes for short. And she learned what a television was, and a radio and those high buildings were called skyscrapers (The really high ones, at least).

She also learned more about where she was. New York City was a major city in the United States. The country was fairly new at her time, but has seen how popular it became. Two centuries could do that.

That was the other thing she learned. 2013…she remembered 1832, but the 21st century? That was the only thing that didn't make sense. Moving from one country to another was normal…moving from one time period to another wasn't.

She sighed and looked up at the sky. Skyscrapers blocked her view of the sun's rays. It was the morning of her thirteen day. The sun had risen not too long ago, and the start of a new day came with it. A new day for her to search hopelessly for her true love.

She stood up and began walking. She couldn't sit and rest. She barely rested, only sleeping when it truly hit her and in places she thought no one would find her. She was caught twice, and she left immediately. She didn't want to cause any trouble to anyone.

The last thing she wanted was to upset the balance of the future. She had already shown someone how uneducated she was with the modern world, already changing things. She couldn't change too much or who knew how bad things could get.

She walked along the sidewalk, passing pedestrians as she made her way to nowhere. She searched every person, every face to see if Marius was one of them. She did the same thing for the past two weeks, but with no such luck.

She knew there were a large number of residents living in New York City, and to find one single individual could take longer than she expected. It would be easier to find a needle in a haystack.

Nevertheless, she pushed on. If Montparnasse was given this new life, Marius absolutely did.

Montparnasse could have died, too. This_ could_ be a form of heaven, a purgatory even. If Marius hadn't died, he may not even be there. Knowing 'Parnasse, he could have done something stupid to get himself killed, landing him in this unfamiliar area with her.

But Marius could have died at the barricades. She never completely believed they would all make it out alive and have their cause make a difference. She knew the majority of them would pay with their lives, and prayed every second that Marius would not be one of them. Now, with her thinking she was in the land of the dead, she wanted him right next to her.

She walked for what seemed like miles until she came to a building with a large, gray fence. It wasn't much of a fence, though; she thought it was more of metal wall. People wearing the same outfits walked through the opening. She hadn't looked there yet, and thought it wouldn't hurt to try.

She walked in with the rest of them, somewhat blending in. If she wore a red and white plaid shirt and a gray skirt with high socks and black shoes, she would have completely blended in. she saw many people laughing with each other and most carried sacks on their backs. There were tables outside for them to sit and talk or work. Above the doors, she read the words _St. Digna Academy. _It had been some time since she last learned how to read, but the letters and their sounds were still fresh in her mind.

She made the assumption that this was a school. The students carried books in their sacks and were studying at the tables and writing with an odd ink pen. It wasn't even a feather. She was still new and didn't know everything about this place yet.

A bell rang and shocked her, causing her to knock a book out of someone's hand. "Geez, calm yourself!" He said.

"I…I'm terribly sorry. I just-" He already left before she could finish. She noticed everyone was putting their books in the sacks and swiftly moving inside. She didn't want to be left behind, so she followed them in.

She was cramped going in through the door. Everyone rushed in and made no room for anyone else. It took her a while to get inside the school, and when she did, she was amazed.

Hundreds of students walked around, all of them wearing the same outfit style. Girls wore red, white, and black skirts and boys wore tan khakis, and they wore either red or black shirts to match. Many walked in groups and they all smiled and laughed together, as friends normally would. She never really had friends; Marius was the only one who talked to her.

She could argue that the Café Musain members were her friends. Joly was always nice to her. Most of the time when she spent time with Marius, Joly tagged along. And Grantaire was always nice; every time she complained about Marius, he offered her a drink. They were all friendly to her…with the exception of Enjolras.

He was always more focused on his revolution to know she existed. She didn't mind it, though. He seemed too cold to want to befriend anyone who wasn't participating in his revolution. She was a last minute addition, and he still didn't know who she was until she died, her being the first to fall.

She shook the thought out of her mind. Her goal was to find Marius. She needed Marius. He would help her understand why they came to this unusual place.

She walked down a narrow hallway, bumping into hundreds of people along the way. She searched for anywhere to hide and escape, somewhere she could sit down and relax. She saw a dark, empty room and made her move. She ran past the students, opened the door and pulled herself in.

It was dark with only the light from the sun to illuminate the room. Desks lay next to each other in ordered rows, each with a chair behind it. There was a longer desk at the front for the teacher and a chalkboard behind that.

She rubbed her fingers against the front desk, memories flooding her mind. This room reminded her so much of her days in school. Going to class every day and learning new words and phrases…she missed it dearly. She took advantage of the time she spent in school, most of the time staring at the cute boys in class or watching the birds fly. She wanted to pay attention, but it was so boring. She wished she appreciated it more when she had it. Now, it was just a faded memory.

She walked to a desk in the back corner and started out the window. The front of the school was visible, and it looked like a ghost town. Everyone was in the school on their way to class.

The door to the classroom opened. She instinctively hid behind a chair to avoid someone seeing her. She poked her head up and saw three girls talking to each other and laughing. Soon after, many more students engulfed the classroom, all ready for class. They all sat or stood near a desk. She was safe in the corner, she thought. She thought no one would notice her; no one ever noticed her before. But someone did.

"Um, this is my seat." She looked up at the smiling young man who stood in front of her. His usual somewhat messy, brown hair was combed and proper. She saw right through his brown eyes. It was an old friend of hers, an ABC member. It was Joly.

"Joly?" She said, loud enough for most of the class to hear. Some nearby students turned around to them with curious visages. He continued to smile at her as she stood up slowly. Some students

"Joly? I don't know who that is. My name is Jonah." She tilted her head slightly in confusion. Had he not been smiling to her for the reason she thought? Could it be possible he didn't remember _anything_? To assure her, he gave her a subtle wink and sat in his chair.

She breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't alone; he did remember. She wondered if anyone had forgotten their memories. She hoped Marius hadn't; that would break her heart.

"Why don't you pull up a chair and sit down?" Joly said. She looked at him as he pointed to a chair in the back of the classroom. She pulled the chair closer to him and sat down. She stared at him, hoping he would give her answers. He only smiled as he sat in his seat. He was always the contented one in the group.

"Welcome class, good morning." An older man with graying hair walked in and greeted the students. It was proper for students to stand when a teacher entered the classroom, so she did. She didn't realize how different things had changed.

"Sit down," Joly whispered and pulled on her dress to sit her back down.

"Morning, Mr. Hugo." She was completely bewildered. Most students were to respect their teachers in a more proper manner. She may not have been the most sophisticated woman, but she still remembered a few lessons from her early years.

"Now, take out your textbooks and open to page 257," Mr. Hugo instructed the class to do. They instinctively took their book from their sacks and opened to the designated page. She looked over Joly's shoulder and tried reading what was there, but the words were too advanced for her. The only words she recognized were small words such as_ the_ and _a_ and_ or_. She tried pronouncing the bigger words in her head, but they were too complex for her uneducated mind.

"Jonah, read the first section, please." She looked to Joly. He was called Jonah here. He responded to Mr. Hugo by reading the first lines.

"In 1830, the July Revolution overthrew Charles X, who abdicated in favor of his 10-year-old grandson, Henri, Duke of Bordeaux, and, naming Louis Philippe Lieutenant General, charged him to announce to the popularly elected Chamber of Deputies his desire to have his grandson succeed him.…" She followed him as he read the words in the textbook, but she still couldn't match them together. She had a headache by the time he finished.

"So as the ruler of France, Louis Philippe expressed nationalism to keep the nation together and to unite his people."

"That's not true!" Everyone turned to the girl in the corner of the classroom who stood up, completely outraged. She didn't realize what she had done until after she had done it. Joly put a hand to his forehead, and he was the only one in the classroom who didn't look at her.

Her heart was pounding. She never had so many eyes looking at her at once. Everyone used to turn away when she spoke, but now she was the center of attention – and the teacher was most interested in hearing what she had to say.

"Hmm, and what is _your _name? I do not see you in uniform." He motioned his hand to exaggerate how her outfit did not fit the others. She looked at her tattered dress and frowned. This dress had always defined who she was, but not anymore. Not here.

"Um, I don't see how that concerns you what my name is, and I don't attend this school." She said, crossing her arms. Mr. Hugo mimicked her movement in an arrogant way.

"Then why are you here?" He asked her. She froze at his question. She hadn't thought of an excuse for her presence. What was she to say, she knew personally Louis Philippe and the royal family were terrible rulers because she lived under their power? She had to think of something fast, something logical.

"She's observing." Everyone turned to Joly (Or Jonah to them) as he stood up. Éponine was most surprised at this. "She's my cousin, and she wanted to see how I was doing in this school. She might be attending."

Éponine began biting her nails hoping Mr. Hugo would buy into their lie. Joly kept his cool and convinced Mr. Hugo she was who he said she was.

"Well, tell her I'm the teacher and I know my history." He glanced at her once more before returning to his discussion. They sat down and Éponine breathed a sigh of relief. If Joly had not been there, she didn't know what she would've done. She looked over to Joly who smiled back to her. She mouthed a _thank you_ to him, and he nodded in return. He leaned closer to her and whispered, "Meet me outside the school after the last bell. I can help you." She looked at him and nodded; she needed someone's help and who better than Joly?

She waited outside after the final bell like he said. She tapped her foot against the wall of the school very impatiently. She hoped he didn't get lost on the way out. All those hallways and turns and stairways confused her so much she barely made it out of there.

Students started filing out as they made their way to giant yellow cars parked in front of the school. Most of the students went inside the giant cars, but others walked. She knew this was a large city, and it would take a long time for most to get home. The cars went much faster than walking home. She remembered walked for at least an hour before making it home. At least she had Cosette to her chores, or she would never have had the time to learn the things she did.

A hand touched her shoulder and she swiftly turned around. "Follow me."

She followed Joly as he walked from the school and took a right. He walked fast, causing her to fall behind every so often. She would skip a few steps just to keep up with him. "My apartment isn't too far from here. We can talk there."

The only time he stopped was when they crossed the street and the red flashing hand told them to wait. When the white flashing person appeared, he swiftly crossed. She had to speed walk most of the time because of how much in a hurry he was. He was completely silent the entire way, his mind only set on getting to his apartment.

It didn't take too long for them to find the apartment building he lived in. He held the door for her to walk in first. "After you, Mademoiselle." She gave him a sarcastic smile. She knew she was no mademoiselle.

She walked in and saw a woman sitting on a chair at a desk. She held a magazine in her hand and her feet sat on the countertop. She was chewing obnoxiously loud as she turned to us. "Oh, hey Jonah. Back from school?"

"Yep. My cousin and I are just going up. Can you unlock the elevator gate?" The woman placed her feet back on the ground, dropped her magazine on the counter, and took out a large set of keys. She walked between them as she searched for the right key. Once she found the right one, she put it in the keyhole and opened the gate, allowing us to enter what Joly called an elevator.

"Thanks, Josie." Joly said to her, making her blush a little. He winked to her and pulled Éponine into the elevator. He pressed number four and the doors slowly closed. She felt a jolt and realized they were moving up. She held onto the rails for safety, and Joly only laughed at her.

"Don't worry, this is safe." She looked directly into his eyes. He assured her nothing would happen to her. She slowly let go of the rails. When the number four appeared on the screen, the elevator jolted slightly and the door opened.

She thought it was magic. They had suddenly appeared somewhere else. Josie was nowhere to be seen. There was a long hallway with many doors, and she thought she had entered yet_ another _world.

"Where are we?" She asked him. She stepped out of the elevator and he after her. She wanted to enter every room, but most were locked. Joly stopped her from attempting another. He knew better than that.

"I wouldn't do that," He said, "You'll disturb my neighbors." She remembered Gorbeau House, where she lived as a teenager. There were many rooms for other families to live, and this place was just the same. They walked down until they reached Room 424, where Joly lived. He took his key out and opened the door.

It was a simple place to live with the following rooms: a living room straight ahead, a kitchen to the right, bathroom to the left, and a couple bedrooms on the right. There were many appliances she had never seen before, like a giant, black box on a stand in the living for instance. The kitchen was very advanced as well with many cooking applications she had never seen before.

Joly closed and locked the door, checking the hallway before closing it. He turned to her and nodded. "Yes, I know."

That filled her with so much joy. She had someone to talk to at last! She knew Montparnasse would be of no help to her, but Joly could explain things more lucidly. "How did we get here? Is Marius here, too?"

He sighed and sat down in a chair in the living room, motioning her to do the same. She sat on the couch across from him, her body leaned in closer so she wouldn't miss any details. But by the look on his face, things didn't look so bright. "I'm not sure how we arrived here, and no, I haven't seen Marius."

She wanted to cry. She wanted to burst into tears and pray he was okay. She didn't know if he was dead or alive or hurt… she just wanted to know where he was. "Oh."

"Hey," He reached for her hand and grabbed it, comforting her. He always knew how much she loved Marius. "If you're here and I'm here, then he must be, too."

"I guess, but what if he's in the cold and doesn't know his way? Only a street rat like me could find their way around, even in this new place." She let go and crossed her legs, facing away from him. She felt a tear roll down her cheek and quickly wiped it away. _Now is not the time for tears,_ she told herself.

"You'll have to get used to calling it New York. NY, for short." He stood up and moved towards the kitchen. He opened a cabinet and took out two glasses. She followed him, stood behind the counter, and watched as he made them drinks. He poured water from the sink and handed her a glass.

"How much do you know about this place?"

"I know that this is a major city in The United States of America." America. She always wanted to go to America, but not like this. Not knowing she died first. Not knowing Marius wasn't with her. "And I also know you are not wearing appropriate clothing for the time period." He continued as he eyed her clothing and took another sip.

"I wasn't even wearing clothes appropriate back then." She replied and took the drink. She needed modern clothes and fast. If she kept wearing the outfit she was, people would become suspicious.

"Here…I bought these in case someone like you showed up." Joly put the glass down and went into one of the bedrooms. He searched through his drawers and came back with a couple stacks of clothing, much like the ones she'd seen other girls wear.

"I can't take these from you." She said, not moving an inch to take them.

"Yes you can, and you will." He told her. She crosses arms, disagreeing. If she wanted to blend in, she would work for it. She was not like her father anymore; she didn't take from others. "Unless you'd rather have people staring at you, wondering why you're dressed like someone-"

"Someone from the streets of Paris in the 1800's, got it." He held them closer to her, and she reluctantly took the gift. She would find a way to repay him later.

"And you can't use francs. Learned that the hard way."

"Ha, you're telling me."

"How many do you have?" She surfed through her pockets, remembering the four francs from Cosette's father.

"Four. Why?"

"In US dollars, that'd be about $3." He ran back to his room and came back with a few stacks full of green paper. "But take this, you'll need it." He placed it in her hand and she observed his second gift to her. She knew it was money, and by the looks of it, there was a lot.

"I don't need your money!" She threw the stacks on the counter, as well as the clothes. She didn't want to be the charity case anymore. She was done being the helpless girl.

"Yes, you do!" He shouted forcefully, "This new world isn't safe! In the weeks that I've been here, I've seen beggars on the street beaten up and thrown in jail!"

"Not any different!" If she didn't know better, she would have thought he never lived in Paris. He knew as well as she did how often beggars and the poor were imprisoned.

"But everything horrid I've heard happens to the women. Men aren't as 'willing' to pay anymore, they just do." That shocked her. Men always kept their end of the bargain. She had friends who were desperate enough to do that, and the men always paid. Taking advantage of a woman that way scared her, wondering how bad things could get for her.

"Oh, I didn't know." She sighed and sat down on the high chair next to the counter. Joly looked at her with sympathy. He knew all she had been through and wanted to help. He didn't want her to be brainwashed by modern ways. He knew she was better than that.

"I'll tell the school you'll be attending, and they'll give you a uniform." He said as he walked to the kitchen and dialed something into another machine she didn't know. "But that's all I can do for you." He eyed the clothing and the money on the counter. She had to choose – either take the gifts and be prepared or fend for herself and face God knows what.

"I know. You've done enough." She told him as she took the gifts. He smiled at her, but she could barely give him that. It was hard to find something to smile at nowadays, and even this wasn't enough.

"You _can_ stay here, if you wish. I have a spare room here if-"

"That's okay; I think I'll be fine. You've done enough." He tried persisting, but knew Éponine well enough she wouldn't take another form of charity. She had to learn the ways of this world on her own.

She headed for the door and heard him call out to her. "Good-bye, Éponine. Be safe."

She turned around to face him. He was still smiling at her, hoping to persuade her to smile back.

"Good-bye, Joly." She walked out of the room without a smile on her face.

**She can't even smile :( Now I can't! :(( Haha, so she finds Joly...who's Jonah...anyone confused? I don't want anyone to be confused so ask me questions if you're having trouble following along. I'm going to work really hard on the next chapter so I can finish early! :) And again, PM or review any of the Les Mis signs you see. They could be places or people or even actions. They could come at any time, and there will be many more to come...**

**Anabelle ;)**


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